"The shapeless mass of darkness split apart. It sundered, and a pale spindle of light gleamed between his open arms. In the oval of light there moved a human shape: a tall woman...beautiful, and sorrowful, and full of fear." - from A Wizard of Earthsea, first in a tetralogy that includes The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore, introduces the listener to Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, known also as Sparrowhawk. When Sparrowhawk casts a spell that saves his village from destruction at the hands of the invading Kargs, Ogion, the Mage of Re Albi, encourages the boy to apprentice himself in the art of wizardry. So, at the age of 13, the boy receives his true name - Ged - and gives himself over to the gentle tutelage of the Master Ogion. But impatient with the slowness of his studies and infatuated with glory, Ged embarks for the Island of Roke, where the highest arts of wizardry are taught. There, Ged's natural talents enable him to surpass his classmates in little time. But when his vanity prompts him to summon Elfarran, the fair lady of the Deed of Enlad, he unleashes a shapeless mass of darkness - the shadow.

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Listening Length	7 hours and 17 minutes
Author	Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrator	Rob Inglis
Audible.com Release Date	April 10, 2009
Publisher	Recorded Books
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B002H05F9C
Best Sellers Rank	#1,438 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #4 in Literature & Fiction Classics for Teens #18 in Teen & Young Adult Myths & Legends #31 in Teen & Young Adult Classic Literature

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5 star		64%
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3 star		10%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Joseph Finley

Unique in its day and ahead of its time

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018

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Re-reading this book reminded me of how much it influenced fantasy fiction going forward. Long before Hogwarts, Le Guin gave us the wizarding school of Roke. This was always my favorite part of the story. The novel's protagonist, Ged, becomes a student at Roke under the tutelage of nine master wizards, all of whom may have helped inspire, at least in a faint sense, the professors of Harry Potter's school of wizardry and witchcraft. But that is where the similarities end.

Ged is a flawed hero. Fueled by a rivalry with a fellow student, Ged's pride leads him to show off his power by practicing dark and forbidden magic. He ends up unleashing a shadow, and Ged's quest to ultimately hunt down this demon drives the rest of the novel. In this sense, the story is deeply personal. Even though it covers years of Ged's life, there is nothing epic about this tale. The story concerns Ged, and Ged alone.

In 1968, this story would have seemed vastly different than Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" or the sword and sorcery tales of Poul Anderson and Michael Moorcock. For one, there is nothing European about Earthsea. Rather, the people of its archipelago appear more like one might imagine hailing off the coasts of Africa, India, or Asia. Also, there's nary a sword to be found in "A Wizard of Earthsea." Instead, it's all about wizards, and wizards carry staves.

A story about wizards is naturally all about magic, and Le Guin creates one of the most interesting magic systems ever made, all based on the true name of things. A wizard who knows a thing's true name has power over it, and Le Guin harkens back to that theme throughout her tale. Reading it, I can't help but think it inspired modern fantasy like "The Name of the Wind," which employs a similar magic system.

Despite a few bouts of lengthy exposition, and conflict that waxes and wanes maybe more than it should, I was drawn into a story as if I was reading it for the first time. I wish it had not taken news of Le Guin's passing remind me of these tales, but I'm fortunate it did. "A Wizard of Earthsea" is a true classic, unique in its day and far ahead of its time. For anyone, particularly those who want to explore one of the roots from which modern fantasy was born, I highly recommend it.

157 people found this helpful

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J. A. Flood

A near perfect tale.

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2018

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I did not know when I started reading that the Earthsea books were written for teenagers. Although the language was paired down, streamlined, the prose did not feel dumbed-down as many YA novels can. It simply moved, effortlessly, forward carrying me along the rise and fall of the story like Ged’s magewind driven boat over the open sea.

I’m disappointed only in myself for waiting so long to read this swift, engaging book.

Le Guin’s world building is nearly as deep as Tolkien’s and leaves the reader wanting to know so much more about Earthsea and its histories, cultures and dragons. I look forward to continuing my journey into this compelling, mysterious world.

70 people found this helpful

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GossamerWriter

A Good Beginning

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2017

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When I decided to read only books written by female authors in 2017, there was only one name that I knew HAD to be on the list: Ursula K. Le Guin. I had never read any of her work, having only recently been introduced to her via a YouTube video in which she spoke about the lack of people of color in works of fantasy. I had never stopped to ponder this issue before, so her conversation inflicted a little self-reflection in me as well as piqued my interest in her work.

The book follows the young boy, Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk. Ged has all the qualities you’d wish in a fantasy lead: he is powerful and brave and good. But he’s also young, at times immature, brash, arrogant, and reckless.

This recklessness inadvertently causes Ged to unleash an evil upon the world, and in true fantasy fashion, he has to be the one to vanquish the evil and make things right again.

There’s not a ton of action in the book. The wizarding school is not as elaborately imagined as that in Harry Potter (though it predates that series by decades), but is interesting nonetheless. What the book does have is strong character growth, and a philosophical edge not usually present in fantasy. It will make you think as well as feel.

I could not fault the writing, but as the book approached its 50th anniversary, it does feel mildly dated. Still, if you want a fantasy that is more introspective than action packed, this is a good choice, and an interesting opening to the series. I will be picking up the second novel to see how it unfolds.

4 out of 5 stars

43 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Just seems like a mediocre book to me

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2018

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After seeing this series on all the top fantasy lists I decided to give it a read. Just seems like a mediocre book to me. I got through it expecting a climax or revelation. *Spoiler alert* main character comes from a poor village, starts learning magic. Goes to a prestigious magic school. Then starts killing dragons with 0 consequences and chases his shadow for a while then hugs it. That's the whole story right there.

27 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Randal

and I like reading on kindle these days

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2017

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I still have my hardback copy of this bought back in 1971, but I wanted to read it again, and I like reading on kindle these days, hence I bought the electronic version. This is the first in a fabulous trilogy. (I'm less keen on the fourth book written some years later. Stick with the trilogy!) One of the best books/trilogies ever on the consequences of magic, and about taking responsibilities for our actions. Deep characterisation and a beautifully drawn world. Also a thrilling adventure. I can't recommend it highly enough.

18 people found this helpful

Max Speed

I read this 40 years ago - a joy to rediscover it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2020

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This book, the first of a trilogy, has inspired so many other authors, from Neil Gaiman to Ian Banks, or even underpinning the world of Harry Potter. A must read of the magical fantasy coming of age genre, complete with a magical school.

I first read this when I was 11 or 12 years old, I’ve just now re-read it, and, nostalgia aside, it is an amazing work. I was struck now by the quality of the writing, beautifully formed sentences, built from unusual and evocative words. And in this book, words have real power, naming a creature or object is what gives magical power over it.

So if you enjoy fantasy, magic & self-discovery, this is a must read to discover the author who inspired so many after her.

6 people found this helpful

Peter James West

An interesting story told with great skill

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2019

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This is the first Ursula K. Le Guin story I have read. It was written in 1968, pre-dating my birth. The story is about a young boy who becomes a mage, learns his trade and makes some pretty terrible mistakes along the way.

A large part of the book features the boy Ged searching for a mysterious entity that he has unwhittingly unleashed upon the world.
For a while I thought he might have been looking for a consistent point of view because it certainly wandered all over the place, roaming between multiple characters and the omnipresent voice often within the same scene. In a modern novel this would be frowned upon but I guess in 1968, authors were playing with a very different rule book.

Luckily this author handled the odd style well and enriched the story with many beautiful details about the characters and settings. Some of the description added real depth to the story. I enjoyed this story quite a bit.

5 people found this helpful

Alexander

I did very much enjoy seeing the character development of Ged from the proud ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2018

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Firstly, the book is shorter than I expected, completing it in four sittings over the course of three days. This is not necessarily a negative point but if you’re looking for a book to entertain you for the duration of a nine-hour flight, this isn’t it.

The world Le Guin has created is vivid and individual, drawing me in very early on. I found I wanted to know more about the workings of the archipelago world of Earthsea. The first half of the book does this well, describing in detail the cultures and scenery of the islands of Earthsea. Unfortunately, despite continuing to travel to new lands. The depth of description is lost somewhat during the progression of the plot I feel this is probably a casualty of the books length, but perhaps does lend to the faster pacing of the second half.

I did very much enjoy seeing the character development of Ged from the proud arrogance of youth to the quiet insight of experience. Again, some of the other characters I would have liked to have learned more about and seen similar development over the passage of the book.

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed A Wizard of Earthsea, it manages to fit comfortably within the fantasy genre while retaining a unique setting and culture. Perhaps my sole complaint being there wasn’t enough of it, which is probably not a bad thing.

7 people found this helpful

Mr. Richard Edwards

Revisiting an old favorite not disapointed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2017

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This is a re-read for me first read years ago and I saw this on kindle at a very good price and bought the series. I next surfaced about two weeks later having read the whole series. I saw more and understood more sides to the story on this read and its a very good one at that. 6 books in the saga all link in together and make what I used to call a ripping yarn. Old fashioned term but it still applies the story is not rushed its not written as one book spread out over 6 books as some do today its 6 books which each stand alone as good writing and together make a saga. Be prepared to get lost in this one and you find the next book will only be a click away

4 people found this helpful

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